So you're thinking of buying your girlfriend, or fiancé, or wife, or mother a dozen roses for Valentine's Day? You're a good man! But here's the thing: Stores jack up the price of roses leading up to Valentine's Day. You're likely to pay $20 or more for a dozen, double the … [Read more...] about A Dozen Roses For Valentine’s Day: Lessons From An Economist Cheapskate
Gratitude For Economic Specialization
Gratitude In teaching the Academic Integrity Seminar to college students, one of our core exercises is to ask students to write a Gratitude Statement: Gratitude Statement: Please read Book One of the Meditations of Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Then … [Read more...] about Gratitude For Economic Specialization
My Kids’ Extremely High Discount Rates
"Will you turn off that TV already?? Never!! How about in five minutes? Okay, sure." I can't tell you how many times this has happened in my house. If I try to get the kids to do anything now ("Now!"), they never agree. But if ask them to do something in 5 minutes, … [Read more...] about My Kids’ Extremely High Discount Rates
“I Just Want My Kids To Be [Fill In The Blank]”
I'm guessing that many parents have used this phrase: "I just want my kids to be happy." It makes sense -- we all want our kids to be happy, right? Or do we? In fact, is happiness what we're aiming for in raising our kids? Is it what we should be aiming for and teaching … [Read more...] about “I Just Want My Kids To Be [Fill In The Blank]”
Focusing On The Daily Timescale
The Daily Timescale What's your biggest focus for 2019? For me, I am focusing on the daily timescale: How can I make today as ideal as possible? What specific experiences do I want to have every single day? How can I structure my life so that it is a series … [Read more...] about Focusing On The Daily Timescale